Nintendo's Super Mario Sequel Smashes Expectations at the Box Office

"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," Nintendo's sequel to "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" from 2023, is already smashing expectations at the box office.

The animated film follows main characters Mario and Luigi as they take on Bowser Jr., the son of the villain from the movie's predecessor. The series is based on the original Super Mario Bros. video game from the 1980s, developed by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto still serves as one of the executive directors at Nintendo and has held the position since 2002.

2023's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" was just Nintendo's third attempt at adapting the renowned video game franchise into a movie, but it proved to be a massive success at the box office. The film garnered $31.7 million on its opening day at the domestic box office, setting a record for the most successful opening Wednesday in April.

The movie went on to generate $575 million domestically and $786 million internationally, grossing over $1.36 billion worldwide. That made the first installment the highest-grossing video game film of all time, and it still stands as the sixth highest-grossing animated film in box office history.

Meanwhile, its successor appears to be on a similar track. "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," Nintendo's second installment in the franchise, grossed $34.5 million domestically on its opening day – a Wednesday – breaking the record of $31.7 million set by the first movie.

Including international markets, the movie grossed a staggering $68.4 million on its opening day, and the movie will not release in theaters in Japan, South Korea, Poland, or Israel until later this month, setting it up for further success.

Critic reviews were mixed, with the film receiving a mere 6.6 on IMDb and 42% on Rotten Tomatoes, but viewers appear to be loving Nintendo and Illumination's latest smash hit. However, whether this film can surpass the incredible records set by its predecessor is yet to be seen.

Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): “Tater Tots,” a registered trademark, originally failed because people thought the product was too cheap. Popularity actually rose after the price was raised.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Don’t fear failure. Fear being in the exact same place next year as you are today. (Michael Hyatt)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Fawn (verb, FAWN) - To fawn over or on someone (usually someone important or powerful) is to try to get their approval through praise, special attention, or flattery. Fawn is also sometimes used—especially but not exclusively of dogs—to mean “to show affection.”

In a Sentence: Still new to celebrity, the musician blushed at the restaurant staff fawning over her during her recent hometown visit.

Image credit to Nintendo and Illumination